title: Heavy metal pollution and assessment in the tidal flat sediments of Haizhou Bay, China.
abstract: The heavy metal inventory and the ecological risk of the tidal flat sediments in Haizhou Bay were investigated. Results show that the average concentrations of heavy metals in the surface sediments exceeded the environment background values of Jiangsu Province coastal soil, suggesting that the surface sediments were mainly polluted by heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn). In addition, the profiles of heavy metals fluxes can reflect the socio-economic development of Lianyungang City, and heavy metals inputs were attributed to anthropogenic activities. Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn were mainly present in the non-bioavailable residual form in surface sediments, whereas Cd and Mn were predominantly in the highly mobile acid soluble and reducible fractions. The ecological risk of the polluted sediments stemmed mainly from Cd and Pb. According to the Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), however, the adverse biological effects caused by the heavy metals occasionally occurred in tidal flat.
authors.affiliation: School of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, Huaihai Institute of Technology, Lianyungang 222005, Jiangsu Province, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China. Electronic address: rzhang_838@163.com.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yingjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Jinrong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hongqiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D061006:Bays / Q000737:chemistry*; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Ecological risk assessment; Environmental contamination; Heavy metal; Sediment quality guidelines; Tidal flat